MDB Software · for Vending, Kiosks & Unattended

Take cashless payments on any MDB vending machine.

MDB is the industry-standard protocol that runs vending machines, kiosks and unattended devices around the world. MDB by Paying.co puts one clean API in front of the messy serial bus — so your application talks HTTPS while we handle polling, state machines, device negotiation and vend control.

$29.95 / year / device · Datacap & PAX supported · Plug-and-play install
mdb-controller · node
// One call. Any MDB device.
await mdb.charge({
  device: "vending-A12",
  amount: 3.50,
  method: "tap"
});

→ approved · Apple Pay
→ vend authorized in 89ms
→ webhook delivered
LAST TRANSACTIONvending-A12
ONLINE
$3.50
APPLE PAY · ITEM A12
✓ APPROVED · 89MS
0firmware to write
AnyMDB device
2processors supported
32devices per bus
01 · What the software does

All the protocol details. None of the headache.

MDB is a finicky protocol: master-slave polling, 9-bit serial, address mapping, level negotiation and cashless device state machines. Our software handles every byte. Your application only writes the business logic for taking a payment.

01

Protocol translation

We speak MDB to the machine and standard HTTPS to your code. Polling, ACKs, address mapping and state transitions stay hidden behind the API.

02

Bus orchestration

Up to 32 devices on one bus, coordinated from a single controller with discovery, addressing, prioritization and conflict resolution handled automatically.

03

Cashless payment flow

Tap, chip, wallet or QR gets wired into the MDB cashless state machine so the machine vends only after processor approval.

04

Error recovery

Automatic reconnects, retries, timeout handling and full audit logs. You hear about problems via webhook instead of at 2am.

Building it yourself

Reverse-engineer the MDB/ICP specification
Write a cashless device state machine
Debug 9-bit serial timing on real hardware
Build error recovery yourself
Wire the processor into the bus
Ship months later

License MDB by Paying.co

Drop in the Datacap or PAX connector
Call mdb.charge() from your application
Receive transaction webhooks
Error recovery and audit logging built in
Processor integration already tested
Ship the same week you license
02 · For developers

A clean API in front of a messy protocol.

Charge, refund, status and webhooks are the things a normal application actually needs. The bus details stay inside the connector, and your code stays readable.

// charge an MDB device
const result = await mdb.charge({
  device: "vending-A12",
  amount: 3.50,
  method: "tap",
  processor: "datacap"
});

{
  status: "approved",
  method: "apple_pay",
  authcode: "A8X42K",
  latency_ms: 89,
  vend: { released: true, item: "A12" }
}
API

Single-function payment flow

One mdb.charge() call handles polling, authorization, vend release and confirmation.

WEBHOOKS

Real-time transaction events

Approved, declined, vend complete, device reset and processor timeout events stream as JSON.

INTROSPECTION

Device-level status

Query every device on the bus for address, level, state and last transaction.

LOGGING

Full audit trail

Every bus byte and API call logged with sub-millisecond timestamps.

03 · Connectors

Two flavors. Pick your stack.

Same protocol underneath, same install pattern. Choose the connector that matches the processor environment already deployed across your fleet.

AVAILABLE NOW

Datacap connector

MDB bridge for Datacap-powered terminals using NETePay and dsiEMVUS, with webhook callbacks, configurable timeouts and full audit logging.

AVAILABLE NOW

PAX connector

MDB bridge for PAX terminals running BroadPOS or your processor of choice, with support for A-series and Aries hardware.

04 · Applications

Where MDB actually lives.

MDB is the protocol underneath a generation of unattended payment deployments. If a machine accepts a card without a cashier, there is a good chance an MDB bus is doing the work behind it.

VENDING

Vending machines

Snack, beverage, coffee and combo vending with seamless cashless payment integration.

KIOSK

Self-service kiosks

Ordering, ticketing, check-in and other unattended experiences where payment must trigger an action immediately.

ACCESS

Access control

Parking gates, secured facilities and entry systems where authorization triggers a physical action.

LAUNDRY

Laundry

Modern cashless acceptance on legacy coin-op machines without replacing the controller.

EV

EV charging

Payment acceptance tied to session authorization on unattended charge points.

OEM

Embedded equipment

Purpose-built machines that need a clean modern payment API over an existing MDB controller.

05 · Pricing

One price per device. Same as last year.

No ten-tier pricing model. License the connector matching your processor and deploy it across the fleet.

DATACAP CONNECTOR$29.95per device / year
Full MDB protocol support
Datacap NETePay & dsiEMVUS
Up to 32 devices per bus
Webhooks & audit logging
Plug-and-play install
PAX CONNECTOR$29.95per device / year
Full MDB protocol support
PAX A-series & Aries
Up to 32 devices per bus
Webhooks & audit logging
Priority support
GET STARTED

Skip the protocol engineering. License the software.

Pick your processor, license the connector and plug it in. Take cards on any MDB device without writing firmware, building a state machine or spending months debugging a serial bus.

License a connector →

Find us on social.

Follow along for product updates, payments insights, and behind-the-scenes from the team.